I’ve been watching the answers come in and realized I need to give a little hint.

The dog actually has five breeds in him, some you’ll definitely need to think outside the box.  I’m going to give you one, so you’ll only have four left to figure out.

He is part Chow Chow, in the middle picture shown on the original post you’ll notice the black tongue.  The picture isn’t very clear so it’s only fair I give you that one.

So there you have it, one down and four to go. If you guessed before you can submit another answer.

Good luck!

“Who’s your daddy?”

Are any of you pups out there tormented by this question?

Do you wonder whether your old man was the German Shepherd dropping off the milk, or maybe the Golden Retriever delivering the mail, or could he have been a former Westminster Dog Show winner?

If only there were a way to tell what blood flows through your veins.

Well, mutts, you need to wait no more. Mars Veterinary has a new product called the Wisdom Panel MX, it’s a DNA test for mixed breeds.

Every Dog Has A Tale:
That’s why Mars Veterinary created Wisdom Panel^TM MX Mixed-Breed Analysis, the gold standard in mixed-breed genetic identification for dogs.

Over 38 million people own a mixed-breed dog. One simple dog DNA test at your veterinarian’s office reveals the untold story of its ancestry.

Separate FACT From FICTION:

With Wisdom Panel MX, mixed-breed dogs will receive the most reliable DNA breed test available.

* Blood-based sampling, scientifically proven to provide the highest quality DNA analysis
* Detecting 157 different AKC breeds (incl. 4 Foundation Breeds) and counting
* Proprietary algorithm providing 90% accuracy
* Backed by a decade of peer-reviewed veterinarian science research on dog genetics
* Detailed report illustrating your dog’s heritage,
revealing breed traits and characteristics

Lisa and I have long wondered what breeds flow through Bo’s and Copper’s body. Sure we tell everybody we know what breeds we ‘think’ they are, but truth be told, we’re not 100% certain. Now we have a chance to know.

The process is simple enough.  Order the Wisdom Panel MX test and you’ll receive a package with a vial and a postage paid box to return it in. You will need your vet to pull a sample of blood from your favorite mixed breed and then you send it in.

When we received our package, we just waited until their regularly scheduled appointment (last week) to have their blood drawn. Now it’s just a waiting game for the results to come back.

What a cool product, right? Well, Mars Veterinary is going to give our awesome Dogster members a chance to win a free kit. In fact, three kits will be given away, and it’s simple to win.

See the pictures associated with this post? Tell us in the comments area what breeds you think make up that adorable dog (yes it’s the same dog in all three pix). The three Dogsters who guess correctly, or come closest, will win a kit. If there are any ties I will choose the winner at random from the correct entries.

I think this would be a fabulous gift to give to the dog lover in your life for Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, or even Festivus.

In case you don’t win, the great folks from Mars Veterinary are offering up a discount only for Dogster members. If you order before Christmas you’ll receive a $10 discount by entering promo DOGSTER10.

Contest starts today and runs through Monday, December 8th.

It’s simple and fun…guess away!!

**UPDATE!! Here’s a hint to help you out!**

Charlie Kemp is a Georgia Tech professor and robotics researcher. He is also dog father to a Goldendoodle named Daisy.

Since getting Daisy his work has been going to the dogs, literally. Kemp and his colleagues are working on developing a robot dog that could perform the same functions as a service dog.

At a skinny 5 feet 7 inches, with wheels instead of paws, their robodog named El-E (pronounced “Ellie”) doesn’t look anything like a real dog.

But El-E can open doors and cabinets, fetch dropped objects and do other service dog functions — all without ever needing to eat or relieve itself.

Ultimately, Kemp and co-researchers plan to train El-E to do things not even highly skilled service dogs can do, such as dial a cellphone for help or relay information about its companion’s condition to a doctor.

Robots do serve many functions in society,  so I can see this as a logical next step.  Of course there would be no tail wags,  unconditional love, and it isn’t easy to snuggle up next to a robot. On the flip side, for those that may have trouble physically or financially caring for a dog it may be a good option, time will tell.

* The pic above is dubbed BigDog, being developed by Boston Dynamics.

While technology is great, according to a new survey in Britain it can be dangerous to our pets health. The survey was done by Petplan using 3,000 animal owners.

It found that a number of pet owners are unwilling to take responsibility for an accident, saying the animal was the cause. Over a third blamed the pet for eating something it shouldn’t have, another third blamed their animals for getting hurt while jumping off furniture.

A number of strange incidents were revealed through the survey. There was a cat who singed her whiskers when sniffing a candle and a dog who swallowed a pair of knickers.

The survey also included owners of guinea pigs, rabbits, reptiles, birds and cats.  All of whom are potentially at risk from 21st century toys.

Top 10 Gadgets Most Likely To Injure Pets

1. iPod (15 per cent)

2. Laptop (10.8 per cent)

3. Remote Control (10.8 per cent)

4. Plasma TV (10.8 per cent)

5. Wii (10 per cent)

6. DVD Player (10 per cent)

7. Playstation (8.3 per cent)

8. Nintendo DS (5.8 per cent)

9. Mobile Phone (5.8 per cent)

10. Karaoke Machine (5.8 per cent)

Interesting, but the article doesn’t say exactly how these items caused injury.  It does make one wonder how a pet is injured by a karaoke machine, maybe the owner’s singing was the cause.

In September I posted  Custody Is Going To The Dogs,   discussing the attachment we have to our dog, something not easily broken up even when the family is.

Because of this, courtroom custody battles over the family dog have been popping up around the country.

What it didn’t cover was what the dog (or cat) goes through.  I saw an article out of the UK stating that an animal charity has claimed that when a relationship is over it has an effect on the animal.

The increasing frequency of relationship breakdown means pets are developing obsessive and compulsive disorders, including self-harming and cats sucking or chewing on woollen items such as blankets, because of the stress caused by their owners breaking up.

Leading UK veterinary charity, the PDSA (Peoples Dispensary for Sick Animals) is now urging owners to make the well-being of their pets a central part of the process of agreeing a separation.

The key to this article is the word “claimed”, there wasn’t an official study.  All the same, it is interesting.  Do think think there is any validity to the claim?  Give me a bark.

Here’s a great story about a study done in Australia  showing kids with dogs were in better shape than those without.

As experts grapple with Australia’s escalating childhood obesity epidemic, new research has found owning a pet could keep children slim and healthy.

A Deakin University study found that young children who own a dog are less likely to be overweight or obese compared with those who do not have one in the family home.

The study of more than 1100 children aged five to 12 found they were in much better shape if they had a dog, even if they did not walk it regularly.

Head researcher, Associate Professor Jo Salmon, said the findings suggest even incidental play with the dog helped children keep the weight off. She said physical activity was the key to maintaining a healthy weight and the results were likely to be the same if children owned other pets such as cats or rabbits.

I would think this would apply to anyone, young and old, who has a dog.  I know it gets Lisa and I to the park everyday, even when we don’t feel like it.

“For parents who are trying to get their kids off the computer and switching off the TV and getting out and playing, having a pet might be a really good strategy for doing that,” Professor Salmon said. “Social support for physical activity is vital, so this research suggests the extended family network - not just parents and siblings but also dogs and pets - is important for children’s health and their physical activity.”

Do you find your owner being more active thanks to you?  Give me a bark.

* Click on the pic above and you can visit Pop,  he’s Bo’s good buddy.  Pop has a two-legged sister who takes him for walks in the woods.

A study led by Camille Ward, a lecturer in the Department of Psychology at the University of Michigan and director of About Dogs LLC, has found that young male dogs often let females win when playing.

Females were more likely than males to initiate play with their own sex, but that may be to stave off more vicious behavior later.

“Because adult female-female aggression, when it occurs, can generally be more intense than female-male aggression, we suggest that females may use play with other females as one way to practice threat and appeasement signals that may serve to ritualize aggression and limit overt aggression later on,” said Ward, whose findings are published in this month’s Animal Behavior.

While males were less likely to initiate play with other males, they seemed eager to play with females, and would go to all sorts of lengths to keep the play going.

The male puppies, for example, would sometimes lick the muzzles of their opponents, giving the female a chance to bite them in a vulnerable position. They would also even completely drop to the ground from a moving, standing or sitting position, looking like a boxer down for the count.

They might lose the game in the short run, but they could win at love in the future.

“We know that in feral dog populations, female mate choice plays a role in male mating success,” said Ward. “Perhaps males use self-handicapping with females in order to learn more about them and to form close relationships with them — relationships that might later help males to secure future mating opportunities.”

I’m pretty sure I’ve seen this on an episode of  MTV’s High School Stories.

Is it true or false that dogs sniff each others butts to say hello?  The answer is actually false.

Dogs have two anal glands in their rectums, which emit a strong scent. Dogs sniff each other’s butts in order to get a whiff of it. The aroma they smell gives them detailed information about the other dog.

The aroma emitted from a dog’s butt tells other dogs vital information about him. It tells his sex, health status and temperament. Therefore, on a first meeting, two unacquainted dogs know if they want to befriend each other or not. So what does that mean to us? It means we need to trust our dog’s instincts.

Interesting information, although I think I’ll stick to shaking hands. Anyone have any funny improper sniffing stories?  I know you do, fess up.  Give me a bark and share your story.

When I first saw this article I was very excited.  It was about a gene that has been linked to exercise-induced collapse.

I could now explain to Lisa why I fell to the ground after exercising, it wasn’t simply because I was out of shape.  I was sure I must have this gene defect and I was going to have to give up exercising for the sake of my health. Life is good.

As I read further I discovered this has nothing to do with humans, I’m on my own, and everything to do with a mutated gene that has been found in Labrador Retrievers.

PARIS (AFP) - Genetic scientists said on Sunday they could explain why Labrador retrievers, the most popular dog breed in the world, may be prone to suffering a collapse of their rear legs after having exercise.

The answer lies in a mutation of a gene called dynamin 1, or DNM1, on the dog’s ninth chromosome that controls a key chemical in the nervous system, they said.

The syndrome, called exercise-induced collapse, was first spotted by vets in the 1990s among a group of Labradors who were undergoing training.

Some five to 15 minutes after getting strenuous exercise, some of the dogs would develop a wobbly gait and a high temperature, followed by a near-complete loss of control over their rear limbs.

This is actually a very important discovery and is the first naturally occurring mutation of this gene identified in any mammal.

“Its discovery could offer insight into normal as well as abnormal neurobiology in both animals and humans,”  stated James Mickelson, a professor of veterinary sciences at the university.

A member just made a remark concerning the political posts, stating that “We are for the love of dog”.

I can’t think of a more perfect sentiment about how we feel at Dogster.  So let’s get back to the dogs, shall we?

Snoopy, has finally found a home, and not atop his doghouse. He’s an adorable 6 year old terrier mix who gets around thanks to a special wheelchair.

Due to an accident when he was just a puppy he was brought to a veterinary clinic and never left.  That is, until his new owner Marjan Sipsma adopted him two years ago.  She thought he would be a great playmate for her other four dogs.

Sipsma felt Snoopy deserved to enjoy a quality dog’s life: to be able to walk, run and play. Her research led her to finding a squad cart “wheelchair” for him.

“It’s not available here. I ordered from Malaysia, online from the United States after taking Snoopy’s measurements.

“I also ordered shoes for him as he has a tendency to walk on his knuckles and it would scrape and hurt his forelegs,” she said.

You’ve got to love this lady.  A wheelchair and some snazzy shoes, does it get any better than that?